RIAA backs new copyright law: "Instead of the rights to recordings reverting to the artists after 35 years, as current law states, recordings would be reclassified as "works for hire," with the record labels keeping the rights to them forever. " Let the flame-fest begin...posted by novarese (9 comments total)

Keep squeezing that fist tighter, RIAA. More and more artists will slip through your fingers until the major labels wither and die.posted by wiremommy at 4:30 PM on May 10, 2000

MP3 isn't killing the music industry;
the music industry is killing the music industry.posted by tranquileye at 6:25 PM on May 10, 2000

Being that I record music and perform, this makes me want to stay as far away from the RIAA as possible. An organization is only around until it's members stop feeling the need for their services. And imho, this would be a good place ot jump ship (hello Metallica! Dr. Dre! are you out there???). I need a good copyright lawyer - anyone? anyone?posted by eljuanbobo at 8:29 PM on May 10, 2000

"Just one sec, get me the phone number of "Nirvana Unplugged"'s agent; I want to hire it for a party at my
friend's house..."

That's just sick in the head. I'm pretty certain that something like that would never happen in Europe, where there's already a cross-union agreement on copyright.

I say we set Richard Stallman on the RIAA. (The only truly depressing thing about the story is that it's Don Henley leading the campaign. Talk about strange bedfellows.)posted by holgate at 6:09 AM on May 11, 2000

The music industry isn't killing the music industry. It's killing music.posted by alan at 6:10 AM on May 11, 2000

number one, the music industry isn't dying... for 1999, the year MP3 took off, industry revenues actually went up 7%. which kinda adds to the idea that copying leads to publicity which leads to higher sales, but hey.

but i'm almost at the point of thinking the RIAA itself wants copyright law to be overturned. the positions they're taking are so over-the-top as to be ludicrous. i keep waiting for a TimeWarner shareholder to file a class-action suit claiming the RIAA hurts revenues.

this is almost as bad as when one of the big song-publishing combines (ASCAP or BMI) went after the girl scouts for performance royalties on "Happy Birthday" sung at camp. the marginal amount of income derived just wasn't worth the tide of bad publicity and resentment.

i suspect the real turning point will come when a large, brand-name band -- REM or Pearl Jam, say -- decides to dump their label, and go digital only. heh, maybe more than that... remember Pearl Jam's beef with Ticketmaster? what happens when a band is able to sell all its music and tickets to concerts by themselves? what happens to the middlemen then?posted by aurelian at 9:51 AM on May 11, 2000

Well, I'm on a mailing list frequented by Travis of the Dismemberment Plan; the Plan is opening for Pearl Jam in Europe. I'm going to try to pass the word along, since the Ticketmaster ruckus indicates that--regardless of my feelings about their music--Pearl Jam is willing to make a stink.

This is just one more piece of the puzzle--major labels have been screwing artists for years through the bizarre mechanics of the music industry. (Let alone things like Don Isley's problems getting the rights to his music back.) I refer everyone who hasn't read it to Steve Albini's now-classic rant from The Baffler.

(And anyone want to give me odds that Lars will never mention this?)posted by snarkout at 12:37 PM on May 11, 2000

Well, I'm on a mailing list frequented by Travis of the Dismemberment Plan; the Plan is opening for Pearl Jam in Europe. I'm going to try to pass the word along, since the Ticketmaster ruckus indicates that--regardless of my feelings about their music--Pearl Jam is willing to make a stink.

This is just one more piece of the puzzle--major labels have been screwing artists for years through the bizarre mechanics of the music industry. (Let alone things like Don Isley's problems getting the rights to his music back.) I refer everyone who hasn't read it to Steve Albini's now-classic rant from The Baffler.

(And anyone want to give me odds that Lars will never mention this?)posted by snarkout at 12:40 PM on May 11, 2000

Good gravy. I have no idea what spasm IE just went through, but I can assure you that I did not intend to post that three times.posted by snarkout at 12:41 PM on May 11, 2000

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